


The Saga of Sory Flanevans

by Kataraan



Category: Glee, sory - Fandom
Genre: Harry Potter - Freeform, Harry Potter Next Generation, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-15
Updated: 2015-06-18
Packaged: 2018-04-04 14:07:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4140630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kataraan/pseuds/Kataraan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Sory Story in the Harry Potter Universe. Sam is a foreign exchange student from America going to Hogwarts where he meets Rory, a Ravenclaw with a troubled past and a big secret. Will this secret be the death of Rory? How can he be sure that Sam won't leave him like everyone else. Slash pairing. Mature for future chapters</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A Sory Fanfic in the Harry Potter Universe. I do not own anything of the characters, places, or spells in this story, everything belongs to Fox or Warner Bros.

A new term begins at Hogwarts, what awaits the students?

Setting: 14 years after the Battle of Hogwarts. 

Book 1, Chapter 0  
The Foreign Exchange Students

The smog infused air filled the lungs of the townsfolk as they scrambled onto the grey cobblestone platform. The smoke rising from the red striped chimney of the train billowed out larger signaling it's soon departure. Children moved faster, hugging their parents and pushing their trunks to the doors of the train pushing those in front in their excitement. Each child wore long black robes, some with lining and trim patterns of Red, Green, Blue or Yellow, and small brimless pointed hats. Mothers cried as they watched their babies board the train, and fathers beamed proudly as their pride and joy left them to pursue journeys beyond what they could ever offer them at home; watching as their loved ones boarded the Hogwarts Express.

~~~~~  
The mood shifted as the last child boarded the train. The crowd slowly dissipated. Few stayed behind to chat with other parents, regaling their past adventures at Hogwarts before leaving the platform. Memories flooded back as Madame Sylvester approached the train in her menacing strut. Closely behind her a herd of extra students followed. The crowd segregated and sneered at the students as they passed. The adults whispered to one another expressing their hopes that their own children wouldn’t interact with them. Some gripped their wands debating whether or not it would be acceptable to hex them on spot but decided against it in fear of Madame Sylvester’s repercussions.

She stood taller than most people. Under her long fluid black robes, Sylvester wore her traditional black and green vest and pants that clashed in tone with her bright blond pixie-cut hair. Her face seemed to have a permanent scowl. Her wrinkles took over her appearance, at first glance she seemed to be nothing but a frown. As she reached the front of the train she turned swiftly on her heels. White smoke hid her feet and she raised one hand towards the magical vehicle. Sylvester peered into the eyes of each student in front her before speaking.

"Welcome to the Hogwarts Express." She addressed them. Madame Sylvester rolled her eyes slightly as she went on. "You’re transportation to our school. Hogwarts is situated in a discreet remote location-"

"Wait, Madame Sylvester," A short Asian girl in the front interrupted her. The girls face was hidden behind her black bangs. Her voice was soft and she spoke as if she wasn’t very confident.

"What?" Sylvester growled at the girl, making her flinch.

"Uh...I just find it a little strange that you take a train to get to school. We were told that Hogwarts was modernized, why can't you just take a Wizard Portal, you'd be there in seconds." Madame Sylvester glared daggers at her.

"Who are you?" She approached the girl, making her shrink back into the group even more. The girl hid behind a taller blonde boy who also felt lesser at her menacing gaze. "Tina Cohen-Chang" She squeaked.

"Well Cohen- Ching-Chong-Chang, unlike you Americans, we care about the safety of our pupils. We at Hogwarts don't like everybody and their mothers being able to waltz into our school at the snap of their fingers. That's why you never hear about mass murderers coming into our school and killing our young witches and wizards." She spat. The families that had stayed behind on the platform burst into fits of giggles at Sylvester giving it to the American wizards.

"What about Voldemort?" A Latina in the back asked. The adults went silent. Madame Sylvester's face scrunched up in anger. The Latina's arms were crossed and she had a smug grin on his face. "He waltzed in pretty easily and murdered a few hundred of your students." Everyone on the platform stared at her, some muttered profanities under their breaths. The male student behind her pulled her a couple feet away from the rest of the group.

"Santana, you're not supposed to bring that up." He cautioned her running a hand through his hair, or lack of hair since most of it was shaved besides the lengthy bit of his Mohawk.

"So what, Puck? It's been 14 years since the battle. A couple hundreds of people died, big whoop. You think they'd be over it by now."

Madame Sylvester decided to move on as if she hadn’t heard Santana’s remark. "You will board the train, and when we reach the station at Hogsmeade, you will find me, and from there I will give you further instructions. Is that clear." She glared into the whites of their eyes. They all nodded, except for Puck and Santana who were still arguing. "Good, now get on board and mingle a little. I'm sure you'll make tons of friends." She said with a mischievous smile. She turned and apparated away.

The group of teens looked at each other questionably. One advanced towards the train and the rest followed suit. They started filed onto the train dragging their trunks behind them. The blonde male stopped before getting onboard giving the platform one final look through. His blonde hair fell to the sides of his face surrounding his defined jawline. The adults stared back with murderous eyes. His stomach dropped at the thought of how the other students would perceive them if this was the treatment they initially received.

"What do you think that meant?" A tall brunette boy asked him. The blonde shook the image of their glaring faces away. The blonde looked toward his friend with a dumb expression. "Sam? Madame Sylvester said, ‘I’m sure you’ll make tons of friends?" He mocked her threat.

"I don't know, Finn. Why was everyone staring at us back there though?" The blonde inquired. Sam's biceps bulged as he lifted his trunk. They walked down the somewhat large aisle looking for empty compartments. Students gave them mean looks as they looked into their compartments. "Why are they staring at us?" 

A girl sped passed him in her haste. "It's because we're American, Sam, duh." His friend Quinn scoffed at him and his naivety. "Everyone knows the American wizards and the English wizards don't get along. That’s why this whole Foreign Exchange Program is a stupid waste of time." Her curly blonde locks bounced as she paraded down the train.

Most of the group had found empty compartments to sit in while others chose to press their luck and sit with the returning Hogwarts students. Soon Sam was all alone with Finn walking the aisle trying to find a booth that they could ride in. They kept going until they reached the end of the train. Finn saw a booth with an empty seat. He shrugged and sat with the reluctant students inside, leaving Sam behind.

Sam looked into one of the very last compartments, Compartment CW. Only two others inhabited the room; a male with cocoa-brown hair around his age and a younger boy with russet hair and freckles. Sam slid the compartment door open slowly.

"Um, Hi, is it cool if I sit with you guys?" His voice cracked and he blushed slightly. As if he already didn’t feel like a loser he was afraid he sounded like one. The older boy nodded, motioning with his hand to an empty seat. His face barely looked up at him. His eyes remained glued to the book in his lap. "Thanks." Sam sat down happily. The older brunette had blue lining and hems on his robes. His younger companion actually couldn’t take his gaze away from Sam, sizing him up. His robes were similar to the student beside him, but with red hems.

"Rory I think he’s a Yank." He said not taking his eyes off the peculiar specimen. He tugged on his brother’s sleeve. He wiped the reddish locks that blocked his vision away to get a better look. His face was oily and his nose was a rather large part of it. He and his brother were alike in most features but his freckles that covered his entire face set him apart. The elder boy, Rory, snatched his sleeve back.

"So what?" Rory replied raising his eyes to glance at the boy in question. He blushed, Sam was more attractive than he had expected, he was well-built and his eyes seemed warm and endearing. "And don’t use that word Seamus. It’s wrong." Rory blushed.

"Don’t tell me what to do Rory." Seamus complained. "It’s bad enough I associate myself with ye, he’ll ruin it completely for me." He stood with a pout. "I'm going to go find my friends."

Rory huffed as his brother stormed out. "I'm sorry about him." He said rubbing his temples, his face still red. Sam almost didn’t realize he was talking to him. "He actually conforms to the whole American vs. English thing. I hope ye can forgive him." Sam nodded minutes later perplexed by the boy's noticeable accent.

"Of course." Sam assured. "That accent, is it Scottish?" He asked.

"No, it's Australian." Rory slowly closed the book in his lap.

Sam’s eyes widened. He wasn’t the smartest person alive, quite gullible in reality. "Really?"

"No, actually, it's Irish. I was just joking with ye." He laughed at the blonde. "I'm Rory by the way. Rory Flanagan, Sixth Year." He said extending his hand in kindness. Sam noticed what a nice smile the boy had. A pleasant change considering it was one of the first kind looks he received since he got on the train.

"Sam Evans." He replied shaking the boy's hand. Sam paused to convert his school year. "Sixth Year as well.

"So, yer from America?" Rory half questioned- half stated in an awkward attempt at making conversation. "What's the wizarding world like there? I've heard...well I haven’t heard good things."

"Of course it’s not as good as yours but…" Sam said staring out the window, remembering his family and all his old friends he was leaving behind. "We all go to school at this place called "The Institute for the Magically Gifted". I've been told the curriculum is way easier than at Hogwarts."

Rory nodded in agreement. "Just about every teacher at Hogwarts used to be a Ravenclaw so it's kind of advanced." Sam looked at him in confusion.

"What the devil is a Ravenclaw?"

"Oh good lord." He rolled his eyes. "Didn't they tell you anything about the school before you came? I'm not sure how they're going to do it, since you're obviously way past eleven, but you're supposed to get sorted when you first get to Hogwarts, and the sorting hat sorts you into one of four houses; Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin." Sam tried to process this in his head as quickly as Rory was going, again he wasn’t the brightest.

"Okay, I get the other ones, but what the hell is a Hufflepuff?" Rory looked at him with a blank stare. "Right, go on then."

"Well Ravenclaw’s, like m’self." He stated proudly, pointing to the blue lining on his robe. "Pride themselves on knowledge and wit. Gryffindor’s, like my little brother Seamus who ran out earlier, are known for their bravery and daring. Hufflepuff’s are known for being loyal and hardworking. Then there’s Slytherin; the cunning and ambitious."

"So what am I?" Sam asked. He had asked this question to himself many times before. Only this time there was a definite answer.

"No one knows until ye put the sorting hat on. It can tell." Rory said. He fished through his robe, patting himself down. Then he pulled out his wand from one of his pockets. "This is my wand. It's almost identical to my mum's; she was a Ravenclaw too. Her and my da both went to Hogwarts." Sam went silent. This was beginning to turn into one of the conversations he tried to avoid back in America. Rory noticed the boy’s saddened face "Anything wrong?" He asked.

"No, nothing." Sam said, looking out the window again. Rory could tell something was troubling him, but he assumed it was something Sam didn't want to reveal to a stranger.

Sam sat in silence watching the passing scenery. He had only just left America last night, and he already missed his family deeply. He thought of what they were doing right now. His father was probably getting ready to go on patrol with his police squadron. His mother was probably helping his little siblings, Stacy and Stevie, get ready for school. And he was riding a magical train taking him farther away from them, to a secluded castle where it would be difficult to even say 'hello'.

Rory could tell there was something on the boys mind. He felt sorry for Sam, he probably wasn't used to being away from his family for so long. Rory, however, was overjoyed to be away from his overbearing parents. 

"Are you sure everything is alright?" He urged. Sam looked up and noticed the look of concern on Rory’s face. He sighed.

"Yeah, I'm just not sure what this program has to offer me. The only thing I've gotten so far is spite and regret. Hopefully wherever I'm sorted will have someone else from the program in the same house as me. It'd be awful if I was all alone." Sam frowned. He didn’t even connect with the other kids from his school. Even when he went to the institute, he never felt that he fit in. 

"Being alone isn't all that bad. I would know." Rory said, absentmindedly twirling his wand at the ground. "Why would you be alone?" Sam asked. Rory seemed like a swell kid, nice, funny, and smart too. Rory fiddled with his sleeve for a second.

"I kind of...I just don't get along with people, that’s all. Not many people want to be my friend." He said looking down into his lap. Sam reached out to touch the boy's shoulder. An awkward gesture that made Rory flinch at first, but friendly nonetheless.

"I'll be your friend." Sam immediately chastised himself for saying the cheesiest thing possible. Still he tried his hardest to give a smile that assured Rory he was being honest. Rory didn't really believe him though. He was bound to keep his distance once he heard the rumors.

"Thanks Sam. That means a lot." He lied. He'd heard it all before. Every year since his second year, on the train, from someone who didn't know him or never knew what actually happened. Rory assumed Sam would begin avoiding him by the second week of classes.

"I feel a little better already." Sam beamed. "Good to know I'll be starting off the year with one friend already made."

~~~~~

The students filed off of the train. Sam bid Rory a goodbye as he exited their compartment to search for Finn and the other foreign exchange students. The other students from the program had congregated at the front of the Hogwarts Express, similar to where she had left them at Kings Cross Station. Rory waved and gave Sam a thumbs up before leaving with the other students towards the castle, but unfortunately Sam had his back to the departing crowd.

Madame Sylvester showed up ten minutes after everyone else had left the station with a hooded boy following behind her.

"Alright maggots." Sylvester yanked the hood of her companion back swiftly. The boy was strikingly handsome. The flock of exchange kids were all taken aback by his gorgeous face. "This is Sebastian Smythe. He will be your ‘guide’ to Hogwarts. Any questions you have for me, address them to him because I don't give a flying whip about any of your concerns but Sebastian just might." Sebastian stepped up front. Sam noticed his robes were lined with green fabric. He must've been a Slytherin if he recalled correctly. Sebastian had a sly smile on his face as he sized up the group of teenagers. Madame Sylvester began leading the group up to the school. While they walked Sebastian addressed the crowd.

"Hello, Yanks. I am Sebastian Smythe," He reintroduced himself. Sam shuddered at the word Yanks and he didn’t know why he felt offended by that word. "I am a Sixth Year Slytherin prefect. If you need me, you can find me in the Slytherin Common Room. Do not address me in the hallways or the Great Hall, I will ignore you because, well really, none of you are worth my time." Sam exchanged looks with Finn. Sam could hear his friend Kurt in the back asking if this guy was serious. "It's best that we establish the idea in your feeble American minds that I am your superior in just about everything, therefore you will only talk when I address you. And one more piece of advice. Do not bring up The Battle of Hogwarts. They've arranged passes so that you will not be present in any class that will be going over the battle." He stopped and turned around at them. "Is everything clear?" The students looked at him, all with looks of equal disdain and loathing. Madame Sylvester turned around, angry that they stopped moving.

"He said. Is. That. Clear." She sneered. The students nodded.

"Thank you Madame Sue." Sebastian said, giving her a glowing smile.

A few minutes later they entered the lobby of the Hogwarts castle. Madame Sylvester, or Madame Sue as she apparently liked being called, told them to wait in front of two large oak doors. Sam could hear cheering and clapping from the other side and a loud booming voice yelling out "Gryffindor". Madame Sue left Sebastian in charge as she went inside to announce their arrival.

"When you get inside the Great Hall, You will be sorted into one of four houses."  
Sebastian explained. Sam zoned out as he began describing the houses. He completely understood the way the houses were set up from Rory's explanation. He began gazing around, admiring the architecture of the castle. This place was so much more elaborate than The Institute. Finn elbowed him in the side, halfway through Sebastian’s instructions.

"After you are sorted into your house, you will sit with them at their table. I'm pretty sure you'll be able to recognize your table. It will be the group of idiots screaming wildly if you are sorted with them. The sorting will start with the Seventh Years first."

Seconds later, the large double doors opened. Sebastian confidently strutted down the aisle and presented the group to Madame Sue, who held a rolled up piece of parchment in her hands. The foreign exchange students formed a single filed line in front of a stool with an old wizard's hat on it. Madame Sue unrolled the parchment and read a name.

"Berry, Rachel." She yelled. A short girl in a plaid skirt skipped up to the stool. She flashed a smile and gazed at her future classmates brilliantly. Stretching her sweater down as she sat, Rachel breathed and hummed a bit to calm herself. The hat rested upon her head for a full second before bellowing out "Slytherin" Rachel’s smile quickly faded. "Wait, that can't be right. That's the bad house." She grabbed at Madame Sue’s wrist, to her own demise as Sue yanked it away just as quickly. "That hat is wrong, it must be defective, I'm supposed to be a Gryffindor!" Sue pushed her away towards the other Slytherin who were cheering madly. Sam and Finn laughed with each other, but inside Sam wondered how this was a good idea. The English students already held some grudge against them, so now they were being put on display so the entire castle knew who to abhor.

"Fabray, Quinn." Sue called next. Quinn waved her hair back and walked smoothly to the hat. "Ravenclaw" Sue continued calling out names.

"Hudson, Finn" "Gryffindor"

"Hummel, Kurt" "Hufflepuff"

"Jones, Mercedes" "Gryffindor"

"Lopez, Santana" "Slytherin"

"Pierce, Brittany" "Hufflepuff"

"Puckerman, Noah" "Slytherin"

"Cohen-Chang, Tina" "Ravenclaw"

Soon Sam was the only person left standing in the middle of the Great Hall. Sam's stomach felt queasy. Everyone's eyes were on him. Rory watched him with a smile, hoping he'd be sorted into Ravenclaw.

"Evans, Sam" Sue called. The blonde tried his best to look cool and confident. Sam slowly made his way to the stool. He looked around trying to find Rory in the table with the dominant blue color. Before he could find the Irish boy Sue had placed, more like shoved, the hat onto his head. The hat hummed. Sam was beginning to worry when he realized the hat was taking longer than it did with the others. He was being put on the spot even more than the others.

"Hmmm," The hat finally spoke. "Yes a very, very nice one. Very loyal yet there’s a desire to get ahead. Not very bright. Could do Gryffindor, yes, very brave. But you're hard working and you're modesty and patience would work great in Hufflepuff. Oh how bright your future is. A lot of great things will become you. A very fine wizard you shall be." The hat spoke into his head. Sam tensed up. It felt like something was feeling underneath his scalp. "A good old-fashioned wizard, very different from these others." Sam wondered what was taking so long. He looked out into the Great Hall and saw Rory eagerly awaiting his sorting. Rory's infectious smile caused Sam to relax under the pressure. "Gryffindor!" The hat bellowed. Sam frowned. He looked back at Rory who still clapped for him. He smiled despite how disappointed he was that he wouldn't be sorted into the same house as his new friend.

Sam found a seat next to Finn and Mercedes at the Gryffindor table. A few other students gave him pats on the shoulders and welcomed him while most just clapped while trying not to acknowledge them.

An old man stood up after Sam sat down. His face was clean shaven, and he had a head full of silver hair. His robes were a navy blue and he looked like Sam’s great grandfather except without the unintelligible remarks and outdated clothing.

"Who is that?" Sam asked.

"That's Headmaster Alden." A Hispanic looking girl answered. She introduced herself as Sugar Motta, shaking Sam's hand. "Anyways, he is one of the most brilliant wizards of his generation."

The Headmaster welcomed the first year students and gave a particular welcome to the foreign exchange students. Alden greeted the American wizards and promised them a welcoming hand would be extended by the entire staff to give them the best experience possible. He gave a few other announcements to the rest of the school and then he removed his wand from his robes and flicked it in the air. Large plates of every food imaginable appeared on the table; hamburgers, baklava, Turkish delight, all in abundance. Sam’s goblet began filling itself with Coke, Sam's preferred drink. With this, Headmaster Alden began the first term.

At the Ravenclaw table, Blaine eyed the incoming students. He paused and looked over Sam with intrigue. He was the most attractive of the group, Blaine sighed and turned towards his friend. "Well, I see someone already has dibs on the cute blonde one." Blaine nudged Rory with a smile. Rory blushed and smiled back.

"Wha- What? What are ye talking about?" He stammered. Rory always felt uncomfortable when Blaine talked about boys with him. Of course he liked Sam, and he was very aesthetically pleasing but he wasn’t confident in relationships that went beyond acquaintances.

"You haven't taken your eyes off of that Evans kid since he came in the door." Blaine pointed out. Rory stared down at his plate, his face turning redder. "It's okay, you can have him. I've got my eyes on the cute Hufflepuff anyways. "He said pointing back at the student called Kurt. "So when are you going to make your move?" Rory glanced over at the Gryffindor table. Sam was laughing with his friends having a great time. Rory shook his head in disappointment.

"We talked on the train the whole ride here. He's cool and funny. And yeah, kinda cute, but I'm pretty sure he's not like that. Besides, he's probably never going to talk to me again once he hears about what happened in our first year."

"Rory, you're going to have to stop beating yourself up about that. It was an accident, you couldn't control it. It's not your fault." Blaine comforted him.

"Well I know that now." Rory sighed. "But Sam won't see it like you do. He, like everyone else at this school, will see me as a monster. It’s bad enough you and Seamus have to deal with crap because you acknowledge my existence. He's already got it bad 'cus he's American. It's just all too much. I can't do that to him."

Blaine nodded in agreement. He could understand his reasons for not wanting to try anything, but he had sat by and watched multiple times as Rory let people who wanted to get to know him pass by without opening up to them. Blaine grinned as he looked back at the table of Gryffindor’s.

"Hey Rory," He said nudging him. He pointed at the adjacent table. Rory looked up from his food. Sam was waving madly with a big smile on his face. Rory chuckled. He waved back, giving him a thumbs up.

The boy was something else. Rory went back to talking to Blaine, happier than before. Maybe Sam would be different than everyone else...Well he was American.


	2. Harmony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rory and Sam's friendship blossoms but Rory's past potentially ends their relationship prematurely. A new friend's perspective.

A Sory Fanfic in the Harry Potter Universe. I do not own anything of the characters, places, or spells in this story, everything belongs to Fox or Warner Bros.

Rory's past comes back to haunt him, Rumors fly through the school.

Book 1, Chapter 1  
Harmony

"Rory! Wake up!"

Rory stirred in his deep slumber. He was a heavy sleeper, and not a very appealing one for that matter. His hair was matted down from sweat that accumulated over his forehead and his shirt had hiked itself up to reveal his pale flat belly. The Irish teen slowly opened his eyes. He unconsciously fought back against the force pushing on his shoulder over and over again. Rolling over, he saw the blurred yellow and pinkish blob in front of him and groaned. "Go away Sam." He muttered.

The Ravenclaw boy’s dormitory was empty. It was almost noon and, in Sam’s opinion, Rory had wasted half the day away. He sat on the edge of Rory’s bed, carefully avoiding Rory’s legs and feet. "Rory, I don’t want to alarm you." He started, thinking his next words as quickly as possible.

"Rory we're late for Potions, Madame Sue is going to murder us!" Sam yelled. Rory sprang out of bed. He ran to his trunk grabbing his class robes and his house tie muttering "Oh god" under his breath.

"Oh no, she's going to take so many points away." Rory slipped on the polished marble while putting a sock on, landing hard on his bottom. Sam laughed hysterically. "This isn't funny Sam, she may actually kill us! Ye know she doesn’t like us!" Sam helped Rory up, laughing harder as the brunette went to grab his bag.

"Rory, calm down man." He said panting. Sam jumped on Rory’s untidy bed, landing hard on a book Rory kept under the duvet. Wincing in pain, he adjusted himself so he didn’t look so uncomfortable. "I was joking, it's Sunday." Rory’s face dropped. He wasn’t angry but he felt confused and relieved.

"What?" Rory ran to the calendar near the door to the dormitory. It read: Sunday, October 24. "That wasn't funny Sam. I was scared out of my mind." Sam put his hands behind his head. The street clothes Sam wore should have tipped him off that it wasn't the truth. He wore his favorite Captain America graphic tee and a pair of white pants and Chuck Taylors. Rory never understood why he chose to wear a shirt that made him look even more American but he also didn’t know why Sam hung out with him, so he decided not to question it. Rory pulled his tie off and threw it in the trunk, looking for regular clothes to wear.

"It's your fault for sleeping in. It's almost noon. You already missed breakfast. If I didn't come wake you, you would have missed lunch too." Sam revealed the book Rory kept under his duvet and opened it to a random page. It was his old Irish charms. Amidst the lines were translations Rory had made himself along with tiny swirls and squares from where he must’ve gotten bored. Sam pulled his phone out and took a snap of one of the pages reading: "Transfigure Charms."

"How did you even get in here?" Rory inquired snatching his book back after he’d completely dressed himself. The brunette knew the answer to that question already, by now the entire house had known that Sam would waltz in whenever he felt like it to see Rory.

"Nothing in this school can be hidden from me. Not even you my friend." Sam wasn’t that bright; the riddle the door would ask to enter the Ravenclaw common room would stump him for an hour. However Hogwarts had not attuned itself to the arrival of modern riddles. As students grew lazier they resorted to using their charmed phones more often to use the internet. That Sam knew how to do.

Rory shrugged and quickly turned his back to the blonde before his face reddened. He was glad he had a friend in Sam because he always made him laugh. His days were a great deal more fun when he knew he’d have some type of adventure with the Evans boy and that made up for the previous five years of loneliness. "Lets go get lunch Captain idiot," Rory mocked.

~~~~~

Sam sat with Rory and Blaine at the Ravenclaw table for most meals. No one cared for the insistence that the houses stick to each other, most people agreed that it was an outdated unspoken rule that should just remain unfollowed. Luckily Blaine was still eating when they finally arrived. However, Blaine had someone new sitting with him; someone Rory had never seen before.

"Hey Rory, Sam, Good Morning. Sam I know you know Kurt." He gestured to the brunette boy sitting next to him. Kurt shyly waved to the others. Kurt didn’t look that handsome to Rory, he looked like a girl to him. Kurt’s outfit was adorned with yellow accessories, accenting his house against his casual formal attire. Blaine winked at Rory, and then nodded nonchalantly towards Sam. Rory shook his head blushing. Blaine continued to insist to Rory that Sam liked him more than just friends. "So what have you two boys got planned for the day?" Sam shrugged looking at Rory, who responded with a shrug of his own.

"Blaine and I are going to Hogsmeade to go tux shopping. We're going to the Hollows Eve Ball together." Kurt informed them, clearly excited about their plans. "You're welcome to come with." He put his hand out in front him effeminately crossing them.

"That sounds cool. Wow Kurt, here for a couple months and you've already got a date." Sam chuckled with a slight frown. He tried not to compare himself to anyone else from the program’s social lives, but he found it discouraging that everyone else seemed to assimilate well and he still felt out of place. He grabbed a handful of bacon from one of the plates on the table and shoved his face to avoid the unremitting thoughts.

"Yeah, who are you going to the ball with Sam?" Blaine asked with a smirk. Rory glared at him as he scooped salad onto his plate.

"I don’t know. No one has really asked me." Sam whined through a mouthful of bacon. "There's not many people I would want to go with anyways." Blaine nodded, then asked Rory the same question.

"Same." He replied. Rory desperately wanted to go with Sam though. He just couldn't muster up the courage to ask him, or even come out to him. Rory was afraid that if he said anything to Sam about being gay that Sam would hightail it as soon as possible. He could never imagine himself being as out and proud as Kurt was or as confident as Blaine. Blaine and Kurt left for Hogsmeade a few minutes later, leaving Sam and Rory alone.

"Has no one really asked ye to go with them to the ball?" Rory asked once Blaine had left.

"Well a few girls have, but I said no. I'm not even sure if I want to go." He pushed around a sausage on his plate. The conversation was ruining Sam’s appetite. "So, you want to explore the school some more?" He asked attempting to change the subject.

"Sure," Rory replied. "I could use some herbs from the garden for Potions. Care to help?"

"It's a date Rory." The brunette boy smiled brightly knowing it wasn't really a date but thinking of what Blaine would have said if he'd heard.

~~~~~

The boys left for the Herbology greenhouses behind the school. Sam laid on his back in the middle of the garden, watching clouds as Rory went to each plot of land looking for Aconite. Rory gazed at the blonde as he worked, almost memorizing every part of his body. A few minutes later, after no luck of finding the plant, Rory sat down next to Sam.

"Nothin'. Not a single bud of the dang plant." He sighed covering his face.

"Even I could have told you that. All the other Ravenclaws were here Friday, when Madame Sue assigned the project. It's probably tapped dry." Rory threw himself against the soft grassy plain.

"My parents are goin' to kill me if I fail a class." The air was silent, Sam didn't say a word which was usually what he did when Rory brought up parents. "What are ye going to do for yer project?"

"Oh me? I got my roots and herbs last Friday too. Like every other good student." He joked then laughed harder after Rory groaned and facepalmed himself. "You can use some of mine, don’t worry Rory, I won't let you fail." Rory breathed out slowly, relieved. Sweat was beginning to bead down the Irish boy’s forehead. Sam swallowed, thinking about what he wanted to say.

"Your parents are really hard on you aren't they?" He asked hesitantly. "Whenever you bring them up it’s usually out of fear."

"Well Yeah, aren't yers. If you fail a class at Hogwarts, you're screwed when ye try and get a job. Ye might as well rule out anything Ministry related." All of Rory’s family was employed with the Ministry. His father worked for the Department of Magical Transportation. He made it very clear that he wanted Rory and Seamus to go into the Ministry.

"My parents don’t care about my magical education." His hands behind his head, Sam stared at the sky, avoiding eye contact with his friend. "The minute I graduate, they want me to start looking for a college where they teach 'normal' things." He confessed with a frown.

"Ye mean a non-wizard school? Don't they want ye to give back to the magical community?"

"They couldn’t care less about magic." Rory didn't know how to respond. He recognized how tense Sam was getting and started to piece together why "parents" was a touchy subject for him. Deciding to lighten the mood, Rory got up and tried to pull Sam to his feet.

"What are you doing?" The blonde resisted.

"I- I want to show ye something, come on." He dragged an unsure Sam to his feet and got him to follow him to the other side of the gardens. Past the greenhouses and the plots of arable soil was a large grassy hill. Covered in wilting and browning green plants and small flowers and weeds, the hill was steep and overlooked the entire school. Sam was in awe at the beautiful scenery. The lake to the side of the castle shined in the morning light.

"It’s usually a gorgeous scene. I forgot its fall." Rory apologized, grimacing at the hideous display.

"Shut-up Rors, it’s amazing." He grinned. Sam knew it wasn’t that beautiful. He was just happy that Rory thought of him and wanted to make him less mopey. "I love it, thanks!" He pulled the Irish teen in for a long embrace, which Rory happily returned.

"Come on, sit." Rory pulled him down to sit on the soft landscape. "I found this hill first year. A couple friends and I used to hang here after Herbology." He said with a longing expression. Sam was mesmerized by the view.

"I really like it here you know." Sam smiled at Rory. "Hogwarts, I mean. There's nothing like it in America. I'd rather be here than back in the states."

"What about yer family and American friends?"

"To be honest. I hated it there. My family kept quiet about me, and most of my friends came with the Foreign Exchange Program. There's nothing left for me in America."

"Ye could stay here." Rory said without thinking. The brunette stared at the lake. His knees were held against his chest. His figure silhouetted in a glow of innocence. Rory noticed Sam's hand a mere ten inches away from his being. Slowly and hesitantly he inched his hand out to Sam's. His heart beat faster as he wondered what Sam would do when he noticed. His hand lightly touched Sam's, but Sam's face showed no change. The blonde remained transfixed by the illustrious image of the castle.

Rory breathed out and retracted his hand. Then his hand was stopped by the blonde’s fingers slowly squeezing around his. Sam slid his palm under Rory's, his head still looking out into the school, but a smile spread across his face.

The butterflies in Rory's stomach dispersed If only Blaine could see this, he'd never let him live it down. They sat there for what seemed like forever, watching the clouds and the sun pass over the school. Sam squeezed his hand. Rory decided to press his luck a bit.

"Sam I-" Rory started. Then he heard a sound coming from the greenhouses. The sound of faint laughter and an all too familiar voice.

He muttered a curse under his breath. Rory’s heart began to pound.

"Sam, we have to go." He pulled his hand away, but Sam held tight.

"But I like it here." Sam protested. Rory pulled Sam up to his feet ignoring his refusals. The laughter grew louder as the voice drew closer. He turned looking for an escape path.

"We can slide down this hill right? It's not that steep." Sam wouldn't let go of his hand.

"Rory, what's going on? If you want to leave we can just go back through the greenhouses, but I honestly don’t see why you would want to." Then Sam heard the sound of leaves crunching through the garden; people were coming. "Oh, you don't want...I see." He let go of Rory's hand and turned back towards the garden.

"No Sam, it's not that. Ye can't go back that way." But Sam wasn't listening anymore. He felt offended by Rory's fear of being seen with him. He knew Rory liked boys and he himself was just coming to terms with his own feelings, but now it all seemed like a mistake.

"Aw no, it's him." Rory looked down when he heard the voice. It was too late, they'd seen him. The pathway to the gardens was blocked by three Ravenclaw boys. "He brought a victim too." One of the boys said pointing at Sam.

"Ye've got a lot of nerve Flanagan." One boy sneered at him with an Irish accent as thick as Rory's. The boy looked very much like Rory, except with thicker and darker hair and eyes. Rory followed after Sam who tried to push through the boys, to no avail. Sam wasn’t looking for a fight so he chose to stick around, not wanting to leave Rory alone with these guys. "It's one thing to even come here, but to bring someone else with ye. Way to add insult to injury, ye demon.

"Who the hell are you?" Sam spat at him. The boy raised an eyebrow at him and extended his hand slowly.

"McGinty." He introduced. "Damian McGinty. You must be new, or downright stupid if you're defending this- monster." His eyes were a dark blue, almost purple in color. His brow was furrowed into his scowl. His aura made Sam’s stomach drop, for he seemed so familiar yet such an unknown to him.

"You could say that." Sam shook his hand, trying to get a gauge of the boys physical strength. He looked at Rory confused. They called him a monster and a demon. Was Rory really afraid of these guys?

"Damian, I think he's one of those American Wizards. Listen to him speak. He must've came with the other Yanks." Another boy added.

"Oh I see." Damian examined Sam’s body. The new Rory grabbed his wand from his back pocket. "Put it away Flanagan. Ye obviously didn't tell him about what happened, did ye? No man in their right minds would stick with someone after hearing that."

"Damian don't." Rory begged, gripping his wand tighter.

"He deserves to know." The boys behind him snickered. "In his freshman year, yer 'friend' dated someone. My best friend." Damian glared at Rory. "Then he took him to this very spot and-"

"Damian, shut it!" He pointed his wand at him.

"He kissed him." Damian sneered. This isn't how he wanted Sam to find out. This is what he warned Blaine about. Rory promised himself he'd never do it again, that was supposed to be the end of it. The boys behind Damian backed away. Damian was a strong wizard, but everyone knew Rory was the best at dueling.

"Fine Flanagan." He muttered backing away. "We'll go this time. I don't feel like getting any points from Ravenclaw taken away if a professor saw us fight. But," He regarded Sam. "I'd stay away from him. Ye'll hear a rumor or a story eventually. Rory Flanagan is a monster."

The three boys walked away towards the only path back to the castle. Sam stared at Rory in disbelief. He had no idea what just happened. Then he just started laughing, uncontrollably laughing. This was all because Rory was gay?! The brunette however was not amused in the slightest. He shoved the taller boy to the ground. Sam’s smile faded.

"What the hell was that about?" Sam shouted angrily. Rory put his wand away turning back in the direction of the boys.

"What the hell are you laughing at?" Rory stormed off towards the gardens. "Do ye think that was funny? Was that entertaining to ye. Cus it damn well wasn’t to me." He threw his hands in the air.

"They’re just being pricks." Sam said chasing after him. "It was nothing, they just don’t like the lifestyle. People are stupid." He tried to comfort him. "Besides, what he said couldn’t be true, right? You’re not a monster, you’re Rory."

"He's a McGinty, I'm a Flanagan. Our clans are both Irish and they're rivals. He hasn't liked me for years. Just trying to keep people away from me." Sam followed after him, but Rory was walking faster, like he was trying to get away.

"Slow down. What was he talking about, his friend that he said you dated. What happened?" Sam grabbed his hand and stopped him. "Answer me." He shouted angrily as they entered the school building. His voice reverberated through the halls awaking some of the napping portraits.

"WE DIDN’T DATE!" Rory roared in anger. His declaration echoed. Immediately, he regretted his sudden outburst. His chest rose and fell faster and Rory clutched at his shirt. "Sam please, not now." 

"If not now then when? If there's something I need to know then I need to know it. I want to know it." His voice was pleading.

"I can't tell ye, ye'd never speak to me again, and that would just-...it'd be too much. Everyone else deserting me was fine, but I thought ye were different."

"I haven't even done anything yet!"

"Exactly. Yet." Sam was so confused. "Once you find out, there is no doubt, yer goin to avoid me like everyone else." Rory said walking down into the main corridor. He left Sam at the end of the hallway telling him to watch. He walked down the hall and Sam observed two teenage girls quickly run into another corridor. Another boy walking in Rory's direction turned on the ball of his foot and swiftly walked away. Sam never noticed this before. "See?"

"Please, just tell me what happened?" He begged, jogging to meet back up with Rory at the end of the hall. "You can't be afraid I won't like you anymore because I like you too much already."

"Fine," Rory huffed. If he was going to be embarrassed, he’d rather it not be in front of everyone. "But not here. I don't want people to see me talking to ye."

"Why, because I’m American and they don't like us?"

Rory grabbed his hand and pulled him up the stairs of the Grand Staircase to the third corridor. "Here, no one ever comes here."

"So you want to tell me what's going on?" Rory sat down on a bench, thinking. He was worried and afraid of Sam's reaction.

"The person that Damian was referring to was...an old friend." Even speaking about him was hard. "We didn’t date per say, but we were close."

"Rory, I really hope this isn't all about the fact that you're gay." Rory's head snapped up. Sam just saying the word was enough to make him blush and feel ashamed. "It's okay, I don't care, and I still like you."

"It's more than that. His name was Cameron Michelson. Cam. A pureblood. Ravenclaw." Rory was giving Sam as much information while trying to avoid that actual story. "And what I consider my first real...I don't know. I was eleven, but I thought it was love at the time." Tears were welling in Rory's eyes. "I don't-...It happened so fast...I didn't know what to do...I kissed him...and then he just went ballistic."

"What's so bad about that?" Sam sat next to him and pulled him into a hug. The collar of Sam's shirt was wet from tears. Rory opened his mouth to keep explaining but Sam stopped him with a finger to his lips. "No, nevermind. Not now. Whatever it is it's too hard to talk about." He wiped Rory's tears with his sleeve. Sam decided the best thing now was to just take Rory back to the Ravenclaw dorms. Whatever Rory did, or accidently did, it was too much for him to talk about.

Sam held him in a tight embrace through the halls, ignoring the looks from other students they received. As they came closer to the common room, Rory broke away from Sam's hold of him. His mind cleared and the teen was finally able to keep the images of Cam out of his head. He couldn't shake the desperate and worried look in Sam's eyes when he stopped his story. Rory felt bad that Sam was being dragged into this.

"Sam stop."

"Were almost to the common room. Don't worry."

"Sam-"

"I'm sorry our Sunday- It's kind of ruined. Not even two hours we got to spend together. A pretty crappy day so far, huh?"

"Sam." Rory stopped, holding onto Sam's hand. The blonde turned. Rory's eyes were red, but his face was serious. "Go. I need to be alone right now. It's best if you go now before you get hurt."

"I'm not leaving you Rory. No one can hurt me." Sam knocked on the double doors at the end of the corridor. The eagle knocker spoke its riddle.

"What is madness?" The eagle head asked in a soft melodic voice. Sam pulled out his cell to find the answer to the riddle, but Rory was faster than the smartphone.

"An emotion created to define our uncontrollable nature." The door creaked open. Rory entered closing them slowly behind as he went in. "Sam, ask someone to tell ye what happened. Ask anyone, they all know it even the teachers. Then ye'll understand." He closed the doors behind him leaving Sam with an empty feeling in his chest.

~~~~~

Rory hadn't spoken to Sam for four days. He figured Sam had actually talked to someone and learned that it was best to steer clear of him now. Being alone for the rest of his life was the only way he could ensure everyone's safety.

The Irish teen sat in his bed with the curtains drawn. He stared at the ceiling tossing his wand in the air above him and catching it.

"Mail's here!" Blaine shouted excitedly pulling the curtain of Rory's bed back. He threw a couple of envelopes on Rory's lap, ripping into his own letter. "You skipped breakfast again. That's a really bad habit." Rory threw the envelopes under his pillow. "You're not going to open them?"

"Why should I? It's just my parents. Me mum telling me about how much she misses me and Seamus, and me da telling me that I better not fail or I might as well not come back home. Same old, same old." He rolled over in his bed.

"Rory, what's going on with you? You've been so distant lately, it's starting to worry me." Rory sighed closing the curtain around his bed again. Blaine thought for a second. "You know Sam has been asking about you." He said expecting some type of flush or reaction from his moping friend.

"Doubt it. He probably heard about me by now. My friendship with Sam is over. I'm over it." He felt empty. He would never deny that he had feelings for Sam, but he cared for a myriad of people and at one point or another they stopped caring for him. It had become a dance he grew accustomed to.

"You can't keep doing that."

"Doin' what?"

"Pushing people away. This is like the third guy that's tried to get close to you and you're just going to let him go!"

"I don't let them go!" Rory spat back at him. "And third? He’s a small tally in the score of people who choose to have nothing to do with me. They leave. I never see them in the halls again, they use everything in their power to avoid me. It's a cycle, learn the story of Rory Flanagan and disappear."

"Oh yeah? Well here's one that actually wants to hear your part of the story before making a conclusion and you're not even going to let him talk to you. Please, Rory, talk to him. He's not like the others." Blaine begged with him from outside his curtains. He didn't hear any type of movement on the other side. "If you keep this up you will never find someone who can love you. A life without love...What's the point of living anymore? You might as well be dead."

Rory heard the door of the room close. He scoffed at Blaine. Who was he to define what love is? He went hunting for boys to snog and shag just about every month. It's best to stay alone.

The words Blaine said in anger still rang through his skull. "What's the point of living anymore? You might as well be dead." That was one thing he knew Blaine was right about. He might as well be dead.

~~~~~

Sam waited for Rory to come down and sit at the Ravenclaw table that morning. He finally gave up when he noticed Blaine grabbing Rory's mail from his owl and getting up to leave. Blaine gave Sam a disappointed shrug as he exited the Great Hall.

He wanted to hit something in frustration. He hadn't seen Rory in days. He felt that Rory was purposely avoiding him, and they didn’t have a class together until Friday. He huffed in desperation.

"Are you still waiting for that Irish kid?" Asked Finn. "He's not right. There's something off about him. He actually talks to us and he's not afraid of being seen in public with you. He's one weird English wizard."

"I really like him." Sam slipped. Finn looked at him in shock.

"I'm sorry?" Finn eyed his friend for a rather long time.

"What?" He tried to play off his accidental confession.

"Are you replacing me with an Irish? Well you think you're a guy's best friend and then he finds a foreign kid and you learn your real worth." He joked, feigning his hurt feelings. Sam punched him in the shoulder playfully. "C'mon, let’s go back to the common room."

The Gryffindor common room was crowded like usual. Mercedes Jones sat on the couch in front of the fireplace, reading a textbook.

"Hey 'Cedes." Sam jumped over the couch landing beside her. He stared into the fire and stretched out.

"Oh, Hey Sam." The startled girl replied, a little flustered by his sudden entrance.

"How's it going?"

"Fine." She closed her book. "Actually, I've been meaning to ask you something. It's just you've been with that Rory kid so much, I could never get you alone." Sam frowned a little. It seemed the thought of Rory was inevitable. "Anyways, I wanted to know...If...well- the Hallows Eve Ball is coming up and I wanted to know if..." Her conclusion dawned on him.

"Mercedes, I-...I can't." He looked down at his lap. He couldn’t tell her his exact situation but he knew it wasn’t right to go without Rory. "I already have a date. I'm sorry." Sam lied. The blonde had one in mind. He remembered the way Rory’s hand felt in his. In the last two months he had wanted to hold that hand so badly but was afraid of what he was feeling. He knew what he wanted now.

"That's okay." She said despondent. She gave him a smile and then excused herself to the library, closing her book.

Mercedes rose from the couch wishing him goodbye. Sam sat alone, thinking of Rory. That boy was making it hard for him to wait. Sam wanted to wait for Rory to be okay with seeing him. He wanted to wait for Rory to hold his hand, and maybe even kiss him.

~~~~~

Friday morning, Blaine was surprised to see Rory sitting at the Ravenclaw table eating breakfast. He sat down in front of the Irish boy with a wide smile.

"Mornin' Blaine."

"Morning. You seem in a good mood."

"Yeah, I decided you were right. There's no use in me just being alone."

"Good. I'm proud of you Rory. You're going to be stronger because of it." The boys talked aimlessly. Blaine inquired about Rory's homework and classes. Rory answered keeping a smile on his face. He was going to miss this. The Great hall began to empty and Blaine and Rory got ready to leave.

"I'll see you in potions Rory." Blaine said, planning on seeing Kurt before classes. "Oh wait. We have potions with the Gryffindors. I can't wait to see this." He grinned. Rory laughed his joke off. Blaine turned to leave.

"Blaine." He called behind him. The dark haired boy stopped and turned. Rory contemplated telling the boy goodbye. "Uh, nevermind, see you in class."

"Yeah, I'll see you later. Remember potions. And don’t skip, Madame Sue will take so many points away." He skipped down the hallway.

Rory walked through the crowded hallway without hindrance. People usually dispersed when they saw him coming. His hand in his pocket, he clutched the tiny vial feeling the liquid slide back and forth with every step. A sleeping potion. They'd learned about them two weeks ago. Sue mixed this very concoction, however she had accidentally used too much asphodel making the sleeping potion lethal. She kept the small vial of the brew to add to her own personal collection. Luckily, Sue neglected to lock her stash away and Rory was able to sneak in and snatch it.

He had the method. Now all he needed was the place. Then everything would be gone. The guilt that came when he thought of Cam. The constant bullying and looks from other students. That happy smile his father gave him whenever he told him about their family background. All the trying, and practically begging for positive attention from someone; no more. Everything would be so much easier. He just needed a place to end it all. A place to wait for death. 

Movement in the hallway caught his eye. The wall to the right of him began moving, the walls swirling and dissolving. The hall was empty and Rory looked around confused as to what he should do. A large pair of double oak doors materialized where the once empty wall stood. Rory's Ravenclaw curiosity got the best of him. He slowly pulled one of the doors open.

It was a large room, almost resembling a modern day apartment. In the center of the room was a large red and gold couch with two love seats to the side, all surrounding a glass coffee table. There was a king sized bed to the left and a full kitchen on the right. It looked like someone actually lived here once. It was like a home. A home was as good a place as any.

The door slammed shut behind him, dissolving into a bare wall. Rory grasped his wand in one hand, the vial in his other. He slowly walked to the living room set of furniture, his wand at ready. The room smelled terrible, as if something had died and rotted inside.

"HI!" The surprising sound sent Rory into a frenzy. He fired a jinx in a random direction. The shot zoomed into the kitchen hitting a cluster of pots. Rory turned back and forth looking for the source of the sound.

"Who was that?" He asked. The air turned cold. A figure appeared from the makeshift bedroom on his left. A pale ghost with a faint light began moving closer to him. The light dimmed and Rory could make out the character. It was a girl.

"I'd like for you to not cast spells in my home, thank you very much." She said with a weird strained smile. She was very pretty, her hair was, wavy and curly, she wore an outdated Hogwarts uniform with a Ravenclaw crest. She seemed very off, like most ghosts in their weird bipolar natures, but really odd in that she didn’t act like a ghost. The girl wafted over to her kitchen attempting to clean the mess, only to reach and never touch the dusty pieces of metal.

"Who- who are ye?" He fell back against the couch, wand raised.

"First of all, put that down. I’m already dead." The girl moved closer. "Hi, I'm Harmony. Ravenclaw year six." She introduced herself sweetly extending her pale ghostly hand out to him. She pulled it back remembering her condition. "And you are?"

"What are ye doin here?" Harmony crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at his rudeness.

"I could ask you the same. No one has been in here for fourteen years."

"I- I..." Rory wasn't sure how to answer.

"Why are you so scared? You act like you've never seen a ghost before." She circled him, inspecting his uniform and his hair and his nose which she found adorable.

"I didn't expect to see anyone here."

"Oh, that's a cute accent. Irish?" Harmony mused. Rory nodded. "That's adorable. You're quite handsome too. Must get all the witches." She moved over the couch, crossing her legs to show off her smooth assets.

"Ye do know yer a ghost right?" muttered Rory.

Harmony frowned and glared at him, her eyes were growing dim with her disdain for Rory and his lack of manners. "So what brings you here? Mister..."

"Rory. Uh, I'm not sure. What is this place exactly? Why are you here?" Harmony chuckled.

"Where we are is kind of unexplainable. I know where we are, but at the same time no idea. That's something that could make any normal student go crazy, but not a Ravenclaw." She pointed to the crest on her sweater and the blue tie around Rory's neck. "This is one of the many pockets in our dimension. The famous Room of Requirements. I'm surprised you didn't realize this yourself. This room becomes whatever you need most. As for why I am here..." She looked away. Rory wasn't sure what to do now. He'd heard of the room of requirements and he knew what he wanted at that moment when the room appeared, but why was she here.

"I died here. During the Battle of Hogwarts." She brushed the hair away from her face, regaining her composure. Harmony noticed Rory's confused and saddened expression. "Don't worry, I've come to accept what happened. I was shot by a death eater with a bad hex and I started bleeding out. I tried to crawl away and find a place to wait out the pain. And I found this place. Came inside and...Well you now." She pointed to a sheet resting on top of what was clearly a stiff body. " I've been stuck here ever since."

Rory shifted uncomfortably, feeling the vial in his pocket.

"On that note. I know why this place came to me, why would a cute boy like you be looking for a place to get away?" Harmony moved closer to Rory. Even though she was a ghost, Rory could feel her close to him. "C'mon you can tell me. I'm a real sweet girl. Nice. Smart. Great listener." Rory really wanted to tell her. He knew the fact that she was a ghost and no one would probably ever listen to her made her a lot easier to talk to, but he still felt uncomfortable.

"I...I was going to…Ye know..."

Harmony’s eyes widened in shock. "Rory! How could you? Killing yourself?" She chastised him as if she had known him for years. "Whatever your reason, suicide is not nor will it ever be the answer." Harmony stood and floated to the edge of the coffee table. Her face was angry and Rory was starting to fear her. "Death is not all it's cracked up to be, trust me. It just leaves a bunch of unanswered questions."

"Ye don't know what I've been through. Ye don't even know me." Rory defended himself. "My life is hell. I make people. Go. Insane." He stated, shutting Harmony up instantly.  
"I try, I really do, but once people get an opinion of ye they don't change it, ye're stuck. I'm done trying!" He clasped the vial in his hand uncorking it. He brought the glass to his lips, his mind made up. Then the glass flew out of his hands. Harmony stood close in front of his face, eyes full of anger. The vial somehow floating above her own hand.

"I'm going to ask you again." Her voice was soft yet forceful and coercive. "How could you?" She peered into his very soul and Rory began to feel his entire body freezing over. "What makes you want to punish yourself to this hell?"

Rory sighed. He told her his story, his recollection of his first year at Hogwarts. Harmony's eyes widened as he told her about Cam and then about Sam, realizing that he was gay. She urged him to continue. He told her about what happened on Sunday at the hill.

"I haven't seen him since. I'm destined to live my life alone, so why not just end it now?"

"Rory-" Harmony started. Given his background, it was clear why he would feel this way. "It's not worth it. This Sam boy, if you killed yourself think of how he would feel, and your parents, your friend Blaine, your brother. They'll all be hurt." Tears welled in her eyes. Rory wondered if ghosts could even cry. "I know how you feel. I too felt lonely and like I didn’t belong at home. I just decided to focus on my studies and cut everyone else out, but that just makes it worse. I haven't gotten to see my family in years. I have a sister, and a nephew and who knows, maybe even another brother that I have never gotten to meet. Having to miss out on those things, things I never thought I'd miss...go back Rory. You’ll regret. I’ve had years to regret every action I made and, I’m telling you, you’re headed down my path." She wanted to hug him so badly and tell him everything would be fine. "God, to think I've begged for someone to find me here. Now I realize it's best if they never do. Please Rory, promise you won't do it."

"Harmony, I can't. Not anymore." His knuckles were white from clenching them. He missed Cam. He missed Sam too. He'd miss seeing both of them if he went through with this.

"Anything those bullies do can't hurt you. Sam, he can protect you. He could like you too, he could be different than those other boys. You just have to hold on a little longer." She held the vial in the air, swishing the black liquid around. "I'm going to keep this. I'll dispose of it later. But you. I want you to leave. Go to class, you're a Ravenclaw and we don't cut class, and find your friend Blaine. Think about how horrible things would be without him. You're not alone. Don't give up. Live."

She pressed her lips against his, Rory feeling the light air brush across his skin. It wasn't the same as a kiss he would get from a living person, but it felt nice. He felt better at least. He wanted to cry now that someone was finally holding him. Harmony didn't know how much her simple existence could have changed him. A physical hug from someone who understood could tear down every one of his walls. Harmony told him that he had no knowledge of true loneliness. And for the first time, Rory believed that he was wrong.

"Thank you." He rose. Rory started to leave but then noticed the bare wall where the door once was.

"Oh that. Just will the door to appear." Harmony smiled.

"But, if it's that easy, why have you never left?"

"I died in a place where space is nonexistent. I have no connection to the real world. I'll probably never leave." Rory noticed that her smile never faded. "I'm happy to have met you Rory. I'm content with loneliness, knowing no one else will have to feel what I've felt." As he neared the door the gross smell entered his nostrils once more. He scrunched his face and turned towards the corpse in the corner. "Sorry about that, I would get rid of it if I could. I’ve been planning on placing something else there."

Rory whipped his wand out and pointed it at the discarded body. "Incendio." He whispered. Harmony winced as she watched her body erupt in flames that burned brightly for three seconds and then disappeared, leaving not a trace of her former vessel behind. Rory turned to the ethereal being.

"I'll come back. I swear." He declared as the double doors reappeared.

"Goodbye Rory." Harmony whispered sadly.

Rory left the room, watching the doors dissolve. Harmony. Such a sweet girl and death was wasted on her. Death wasn't an answer, just an escape or a condemnation. He walked briskly off to the dungeons. Potions was over in about fifteen minutes, but he wanted to see Blaine and Sam. He wanted to understand what Harmony had said. He didn't know true loneliness. And maybe, hopefully, he never would.


End file.
